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On the dotted line: 12 Wakeland athletes sign letters of intent
BY Chris O’Dell, codell@starlocalnews.com
With athletes around the country signing their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, there was no shortage of Wakeland players making the cut.
The school had 12 athletes ink with their new teams, as the girls soccer program headlined the group with six signees.
“These girls know what it takes to get the job done on the field and they know what it takes to get the job done off the field,” said Meagan Wilson, Wakeland head girls soccer coach.
“The things they have accomplished here is unreal,” Wilson said.
The Wolverines also saw three football players choose their new collegiate homes; with receiver Turner Smiley following in his father’s footsteps and playing under North Texas head coach Dan McCarney.
“My dad already knew how good of a coach he is,” Smiley said.
It was truly a family affair for Smiley, considering McCarney spent 12 years as head coach at Iowa State, where many of Smiley’s family members attended.
“I have a ton of people in my family that went [to Iowa State],” Smiley said.
Wakeland receivers Jonathan Weisheit and Dan Harrington also participated in Wednesday’s ceremony, with Weisheit signing with Southern Arkansas and Harrington choosing St. John’s.
“It was a long process,” Weisheit said. “I didn’t really decide until Monday.”
Weisheit, who weighed the pros and cons between Southern Arkansas and Ouachita Baptist, made his decision partly based on his future team’s offensive scheme.
“I like the fact that they run the spread,” Weisheit said. “It’s a good offense for a wide receiver.”
Harrington, a two-sport athlete at Wakeland, will try to continue his careers in both baseball and football at St. John’s.
“[Harrington] has definitely made an impact in both sports here at Wakeland,” said Marty Secord, Wakeland head football coach. “I’m sure he’ll make an impact [at St. John’s] in football and baseball as well.”
Representing the volleyball program was captain Hannah Hankins, who will attend Grand Canyon University to continue her athletic career.
“There are some kids who get it,” said Kim Watson, Wakeland head volleyball coach. “[Hankins] gets it.”
Hankins led the team in kills, aces and blocks during her senior campaign and will look to have that same kind of success for a school that will soon be joining the Division I programs.
“We went the way [Hankins] went,” Watson said.
Successful cross country and track standouts Madison Zimmerman and Riley Schwietz completed Wakeland’s list of Wednesday signees. Zimmerman will travel south on I-35 for a cross country career at Baylor, while Schwietz, the school’s record holder in the 100-meter hurdles, will make the journey to Troy.
“Signing Day is the beginning for some and not the end for others,” Secord said.
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